Scott Burk, who played football at Oklahoma State, helped Cherry Creek High School’s baseball program register its first winning season. He played one season in the NFL before injuries ended his career.

Two experiences from Scott Burk’s sports career provide a clue that he could rise to the occasion and do extraordinary things on athletic fields.

Fred Tesone, his football coach at Cherry Creek High School, said Burk was one of the first prominent athletes to come out of the suburban school that has produced so many since it opened in 1956.

“Scott not only was an outstanding athlete, but he had that extra-feisty edge that the exceptional ones have,” Tesone said.

Burk said: “You can’t play sports in general if you don’t carry a little bit of an attitude with you. Being a little cocky doesn’t hurt. You don’t go out there expecting to win. You are going to win.”

One of Burk’s landmark experiences occurred in 1979 when he played in 16 games for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was on special teams.

Returning punts wasn’t one of his threshold experiences. That occurred when he was pressed into service to play safety against the San Diego Chargers. With quarterback Dan Fouts and a strong receiving group, including Kellen Winslow and John Jefferson, the Chargers had one of the most potent passing offenses in the NFL.

“There’s nothing like a challenge,” Burk said of his day as a defensive back. “We had some injuries, and I was about the only player available. I held my own.”

Maybe the top example of Burk rising to the occasion occurred in 1978, his senior season in football at Oklahoma State. He had considered other colleges, including Colorado, but picked Oklahoma State because there wasn’t an issue about his desire to play football and baseball.

The Buffs, in coach Bill Mallory’s final season, came into Stillwater with a 5-0 record to face the 0-5 Cowboys and Burk at quarterback. OSU won 24-20.

“I knew a number of the CU players,” Burk said. “It was a huge upset, and probably my high point in football. CU was stacked with players that year.”

Burk was a leader who could energize programs. When he went to Cherry Creek in 1971, the baseball program was barely moving. His hitting, play at shortstop and occasional stint on the mound helped the Bruins to their first winning season in 1973, the second year of Marc Johnson’s term as head coach.

Being a little headstrong was another of Burk’s characteristics.
He caught the eye of the Cincinnati Reds, who made him a 25th-round draft pick in 1974, and then took him again as a secondary-phase first-rounder in 1975. Bob Howsam, who was instrumental in bringing baseball to Denver after World War II, was developing his reputation as the builder of the Big Red Machine as the Reds’ general manager.

Burk was 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, and thought to be too big to play shortstop.

“I heard they were going to play me at third base,” Burk said. “That doesn’t appeal to shortstops. I didn’t sign and went to Oklahoma State.”

Burk’s time at Oklahoma State was marred by injuries. However, he had his big moment against CU, and he was selected all-Big Eight in baseball. He played a season in the Boston Red Sox organization but returned to football.

His entry into pro football was a different experience from today.

“I got a telephone call from the Bengals telling me they had drafted me,” Burk said. “The draft wasn’t nearly as big a deal as now. About a week later, I got some information in the mail. The first week in May, I graduated on Saturday and was in Cincinnati for a mini-camp the next day.”

Burk’s release from the Bengals was even less personal.

“I found out about it from the media,” Burk said. “When you hear that your services are no longer required, it’s a little difficult. I never thought about not making a team. I missed the process of preparing for a game and playing the game.”

Burk played a year in Canada before returning to college for a master’s degree. He was a finance major at Oklahoma State and wasn’t at a loss for a job when his playing days were over.

Burk wasn’t sure anyone remembered his sports career and that he was one of the state’s top athletes. He played at Cherry Creek some 40 years ago and is entering the school’s Hall of Fame this year.

“I was looking at our 1973 yearbook the other day,” Burk said. “There was an aerial shot showing the reservoir with nothing around it and the Tech Center was in its first phase with just a few buildings.”

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